Tigers, Broncos square off in Hastings this Saturday

MITCHELL, S.D. – On Saturday, the Dakota Wesleyan University football team will kick-off the much anticipated 2020 campaign with great excitement in the air. The Tigers aim to set the tone for the season as they hit the road to battle Great Plains Athletic Conference foe Hastings College at 1 p.m. in Hastings, Neb.

 Eyes of the Tigers

Offensively, the Tigers look to rely heavily on the talented and weathered receiving duo of Daniel Libolt (Chambers, Neb.) and Spencer Neugebauer (Mitchell, S.D.) The veteran pair has amassed three All-GPAC Team honors throughout their careers, once for special teams and twice as a receiver.

 The pair fueled the Tiger offense in 2019 with a combined 71 receptions for 849 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Neugebauer was also a weapon on special teams ranking second in the NAIA with 713 kick return yards and was 14^th nationally, averaging 25.5 kick return yards per game.

 Other pivotal pieces to the Tiger offense in 2020 include TJ Benton (Spokane, Wash.), Dawson Kerzman (Dell Rapids, S.D.) and Dayne Clark (Merritt Island, Fla.) who will all help anchor the offensive front. Clark makes the transition from the defensive line in his final season while juniors Benton and Kerzman missed no more than three games for the Tigers last season.

 On the other side of the ball, the Tigers will call upon their linebacking core to pace and anchor the defense with a plethora of experienced veterans in Cody Reichelt, (Mitchell, S.D.), Samuel Kretschmar (Huron, S.D.) and Joshua Garry (Sioux Falls, S.D.). Reichelt enters his final campaign with the Tigers after being selected as an All-GPAC Honorable Mention selection in 2019 when he recorded 84 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions and a fumble recovery for 60 yards. Meanwhile, the redshirt-junior duo of Garry and Kretschmar recorded a combined 41 tackles along with 5.5 sacks a year ago.

 Beyond the Stripes

While the Tigers currently trail the all-time series against the Broncos 9-17, last year's victory at Joe Quintal Field made it six of the last seven over Hastings College. In week 11 of 2019, the Tigers culminated the season with a convincing victory over the Broncos on senior day, sending 17 seniors out on a high note. The Tiger defense set the tone early on the opening drive of the game and handed the momentum to the offense who secured a 20-0 lead at halftime. DWU cruised to a 30-7 victory en-route to notching a 3-8 record overall and 2-7 record in GPAC play to finish the season.

 Keeping it Cimpl

 Head coach Ross Cimpl enters his ninth season at the helm for the Tigers where he currently resides as the second winningest coach all-time at Dakota Wesleyan and is 3-5 in season openers. He boasts an overall record of 49-38 with his best campaigns coming in 2015 and 2016 when he led the Tigers to 9-2 and 8-3 finishes, respectively. Lastly, Cimpl holds a 6-2 advantage over the Broncos winning five straight from 2013 to 2017.

 The opposing sideline will feature Tony Harper who enters his 14^th season at Hastings College and 10^th season as the head coach of the Broncos boasting a 42-51 overall record.

 Stocking the Hunt

The Broncos ended the 2019 season by dropping eight games in a row and posted a 2-8 overall record and a 1-8 conference record. Despite finishing 10th in the GPAC a year ago, the Broncos return notable players on both sides of the ball in 2020.

 Sophomore Keiotey Stenhouse returns for his sophomore campaign after posting an explosive freshman season last year from the wide receiver position. The All-GPAC Honorable Mention selection hauled in 53 receptions for 827 yards, six touchdowns and five 100-plus yard receiving games in 2019.

 On the opposite side of the ball, junior Daeron Jones enters his third season with the Broncos at the safety position. The 2019 All-GPAC Second Team defensive player figures to lead the Broncos defensive unite after posting 39 tackles, four interceptions, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery a year ago.